I had a small “r” revelation recently.

I realized that Entertainers and Entrepreneurs possess virtually the same set of strengths. These strengths lived out create tremendous value and are a gift to all of us. They also possess the same set of weaknesses that keep too many of them from reaching their full potential.

First, this is how I know entertainers. As recording artist who has entertained millions, as a producer of other successful bands, and as a production company owner, who both hired and served some of the top talent out there.

This is how I know entrepreneurs. As one myself, starting my first successful endeavor at age 23.  As a mentor and co-founder of a venture development company devoted to helping good people build epic companies.

I believe both entertainers and entrepreneurs are essentially artists and explorers.

Their strong sense of calling, powerful imagination, and clear vision drive them to start new things. Intensely curious, they exist to discover, create and grow. They are willing to work long hours for no pay, have a high tolerance for risk, and the grit to go through tremendous hardship in order to achieve their vision.

A distorted version, a shadow, of the same strengths that catapult them to success can, ironically, show up as the qualities that make them un-backable by audiences, clients, partners, colleagues, and investors. These qualities poison their talent and stifle their ability to create value for others.

I’ll describe these as archetypes. As archetypes go, they are metaphors and patterns of being, not necessarily 100% descriptive of individuals and yet they ring true. During certain seasons in life, we all choose the shadow sides of our gifts.

1. The Unrecognized Genius - Absolutely brilliant, they feel superior to others and are embittered by people’s inability to keep up with their vision. People with off-the-charts talent also have off-the-charts weaknesses which they are usually not self-aware enough to fully grasp.

Antidote - repeated failure may just get them to realize no creative or business venture is successful without a fantastic team. Their genius can flourish more fully by turning from bitterness against others to a deep sense of gratitude for others. 

2. The Bleeding Heart - their passion to serve the underserved is detached from the practical dimensions of human activity. They attempt to solve not one problem but all problems at the same time. Their solution is not for a specific, tangible group of the underprivileged, but for the planet. This lack of focus is the very reason why the world does not rush to join their movement.

Antidote - if they learn how to be a builder as well as a dreamer, a very different skillset, their compassion may actually light the way for a movement.

3. The Narcissist - they crave fame, fortune, and followers. Their prodigious talents may carry them a long way, but eventually, they will hit a ceiling. The price for not feeling the pulse of their clients or audiences and seeking the wisdom of their partners. The very people who can actually take them to new heights. It is the ceiling of self-focused independence in an interdependent world.

Antidote - learning generosity, serving the poor, listening to the voices of the suffering. Selfless living can cure a selfish heart.

4. The Idealist - their rigid insistence on their exact vision clouds their ability to recognize there may be missing pieces. They may not have the temperament, talent, or training necessary. They may not have the market climate, strategy or team for their idea to be viable.

Antidote - humbly inviting mentorship by people who may offer a better map, key missing pieces, and a better strategy for success.

5. The Romantic - they are in love with the romance of entertainers and entrepreneurs but are not wired for it. They fold under pressure, cannot tolerate risk, rejection and instability. They use buzz words, imitate stereotypical behavior but do not produce progress or command respect.

Antidote - good friends can help them realize there is no shame in recognizing they are wired for something different. They will flourish once they embrace their natural giftedness instead of trying to live someone else’s.

6. The Dictator - their natural talent is distorted by deep insecurity. So they build their life on brute force, manipulation, and abuse. While talented dictators often erect an impressive business edifice or entertainment empire, their success is unlikely to last. The giant with legs of clay is fragile because of the way it was built.

Antidote - a complete collapse of an empire may create the seeds of rebirth into a new way of living.

Every week I hear a pitch or idea from someone who is just stuck and falls into some version of the archetypes I just described.

May this small “r” revelation offer a map out of the shadows, back into a great adventure for an entertainer or entrepreneur. You are the poets and explorers of today and an inspiration to me. We need you desperately to bring us into a better future and to tell our stories through the arts.

A bonus to this story. Check out an interview I did a few years ago with a great entertainer and friend - George Duke who has since passed away. We discuss some of the secrets of success from his remarkable career of creating with people like Michel Jackson, Miles Davis,Natalie Cole Al Jarreau, Anita Baker and many more.